One of two notables appears closer to joining the UFC women’s bantamweight division and possibly providing a challenge for dominant champion Ronda Rousey.

Although negotiations with former Strikeforce fighter Gina Carano have reportedly stalled, the UFC has apparently made progress on potentially signing former pro boxing champion and current Legacy FC fighter Holly Holm.

The update was provided on Wednesday’s edition of “UFC Tonight,” the UFC’s official weekly news program, via reporter Ariel Helwani.

UFC President Dana White recently confirmed that the organization was talking to both Carano (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Holm (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC). However, Holm has always seemed the more realistic option.

Carano, after all, hasn’t fought since a Strikeforce title loss to Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino nearly five years ago. The 32-year-old has recently focused on a career in films and television, but this past month, White said a deal was possible. He even suggested Carano could get an immediate title shot with Rousey (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who first has to get by heavy underdog Alexis Davis (16-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC) next week at UFC 175.

On paper, though, Rousey vs. Carano seems to make little sense. Recent UFC title challenger Miesha Tate recently argued that case when she said such a booking would be a “joke” and a “mockery of women’s MMA.” But the marketability of the matchup would be unquestionable, as a few fighters pointed out:

Holm, meanwhile, appears to be a more realistic option, both from a contract-negotiation standpoint and from a competitive standpoint.

The undefeated fighter has proven knockout power, both in boxing and MMA. Since her pro MMA debut in 2011, the 32-year-old has posted a perfect 7-0 record with six knockouts.

Recently, though, the UFC has been unable to come to terms on a contract for the Team Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter, as her management has pushed for a big payday in her UFC debut. Relations were so contentious between the parties that White briefly said the UFC was no longer interested in her services.

For now, though, it appears the potential signing is moving a bit closer to reality.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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